Geography

The Bahamas are an archipelago of about 700
islands and 2,400 uninhabited islets and cays lying 50 mi off the east
coast of Florida. They extend for about 760 mi (1,223 km). Only about 30
of the islands are inhabited; the most important is New Providence (80 sq
mi; 207 sq km), on which the capital, Nassau, is situated. Other islands
include Grand Bahama, Abaco, Eleuthera, Andros, Cat Island, and San
Salvador (or Watling's Island).

Government

Parliamentary democracy.

History

The Arawak Indians were the first inhabitants of
the Bahamas. Columbus's first encounter with the New World was on Oct. 12,
1492, when he landed on the Bahamian island of San Salvador. The British
first built settlements on the islands in the 17th century. In the early
18th century, the Bahamas were a favorite pirate haunt.

The Bahamas were a Crown colony from 1717 until
they were granted internal self-government in 1964. The islands moved
toward greater autonomy in 1968 after the overwhelming victory in general
elections of the Progressive Liberal Party, led by Prime Minister Lynden
O. Pindling, over the predominantly white United Bahamians Party. With its
new mandate from the black population (85% of Bahamians), Pindling's
government negotiated a new constitution with Britain under which the
colony became the Commonwealth of the Bahama Islands in 1969. On July 10,
1973, the Bahamas became an independent nation.